Comments on: Financial Times 14,104 by Mudd

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:10:44 +0000

Oh dear, I got 24A backwards in the blog. Of course it is, and has to be, OUT OF ORDER. I have corrected it now.

I don’t think I can give you a full explanation about unknowns but my sense is this: X and Y (and even Z) are typically used to represent unknown numbers in mathematics while N is more commonly used to refer to an unknown integer in general conversation (as in, say, “I am fed up to the Nth degree”).

By: John Newman

John Newman — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:18:02 +0000

Thanks Pete. As Sil says, 24A has to be out of order.

For 21A I had written a question mark above “unknown figure”. I thought x and Y were the traditional letters for an unknown. Can you enlighten me about N?

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:44:56 +0000

Sil, Thanks for pointing that out about 14d. I must have been sloppy; perhaps saw two ‘ins’ where there is but one. I have corrected the blog.

I was thinking the same as you about 12ac but don’t see it as a double definition as the two are not separate and distinct. Perhaps we could call it a cryptic/dual definition.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:23:04 +0000

Thanks Pete, for the blog.
But … you fooled yourself a bit in 24ac, as it is indeed OUT OF ORDER!

I see 12ac (NUTS) as a double/cryptic definition.
When one has a screw loose, one’s NUTS (perhaps). And when a screw’s loose, nuts might help – think nuts and bolts.

Although it doesn’t make much difference, I think 14d should be read as an anagram of EG (engaging, wingers only) and IN FRENCH. Not EG inside an anagram of IN FRENCH.

Good puzzle, TABOO being my favourite perhaps.